Phoebe, keeper of the royal birds, has lived all her life in the castle garden, dreaming about what lies beyond its walls. When her friend, the prince, takes off to explore, he places his kingdom in the hands of his uncle. One of the royal birds escapes and the tyrannical uncle imprisons Phoebe. But another bird, the rare River Flute, arrives in the kingdom, and the uncle makes a deal with the girl: if she captures the River Flute for him, she herself will go free. Phoebe sets off in search of the bird, but a difficult decision lies ahead. This book was featured on the Weekend Edition of NBC's Today Show ("What to Read After Harry Potter").